Grief & Milestones/Celebrations // How I Cope & What I've Learned

Self Development Collective

Grief & Milestones/Celebrations // How I Cope & What I’ve Learned

Grief can feel especially heavy during milestones and celebrations. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, anniversary, or holiday, these moments often highlight our loved one and our grief even more.

In this episode, I share my own experience of navigating grief during my daughter’s first birthday and the insights I’ve found through The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor. Her research on how the brain processes grief helped me understand why milestones make grief feel so raw—and why it’s normal for these moments to trigger waves of sadness.

We’ll explore:

• Why milestones and celebrations intensify grief

• How the brain “maps” loved ones who are no longer here

• Why acceptance isn’t the goal—integration is

• What I’ve learned about coping with grief during milestones

• Gentle practices that help me care for myself in these tender moments

If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with grief and loss of a loved one during big life events, this episode offers compassion, clarity, and gentle reminders that you’re not alone.
Join the email community //

Get reflections, insights, and practical tools to support your personal development journey—delivered straight to your inbox.

👉 https://selfdevelopmentcollective.com/email-sign-up/

Say hi //

TikTok → https://tiktok.com/@selfdevelopmentcollect

Instagram → https://instagram.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/